Portable booth



(No Model.)

J. W. ERNEST. PORTABLE BOOTH;

No. 523,141. Pat'ented'July 17, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JUAN W. ERNEST, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PORTABLE BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 523,141, dated July 17, 1894.

Application filed April 23, 1392. Serial No. 430,430. (No model.)

To 00 whom it may concern:

l 3e it known that I, JUAN W. ERNEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Portgaged, or if the judges of election so desire the booth can be so arranged as to disclose to the udges whether occupied or not, and how, without any one being able to ascertain how the ballot is being marked; light and convenlent for moving from place to place and can be quickly taken apart and stored in small space and when extended stands firm, and is cheap and durable. My invention may also be used as a tent for other purposes by making 1t larger and with more of the legs. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the booth extended ready for use; Fig. 2, a top view of the desk and its cleats, the dotted lines show-,

ing the position of the cleats on the under side of the desk; Fig. 3, a view of the top iron or circuit which holds the upper end of the legs in place and supports the canvas or other covering; Fig. 4:, a side view of one of the legs;

Fig. 5, a side view of one of the legs with another style of fastening for connecting with the desk; Fig 6, a side view of one of the legs a, with the thumb screw c; Fig. 7, a perspective view of one of the angle irons or braces for securing the booth together, on a larger scale to show it more perfectly; Fig. 8, a perspective view of the metal angle brace used with the sockets shown (in Figs. 5- and 9); Fig. 9, a perspective view of a metal socket to attach to the legs a, in which to insert the angle brace t'; Fig. 10; a plain elevation of the thumb screw bolt for securing the booth together; Fig.,11, a front view of the booth as it appears folded for shipment with the straps r, holding all parts together; Fig. 12, a perspective view of the desk (1, omitting the holes h, and showing the metal angle brace '5, attached to the under side of the cleats c c.

The desk is shown upside down to showcleats,

angle braces and straps.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

The legs a, desk d, and cleats c, are preferably of wood, the cleats 0, being secured to the desk d, as indicated in the drawings; the legs have a tenon on one end as indicated at n. The loop or circuit 8, s, to be used at the top of the booth or tent is preferably made a of iron or steel rods, bent as indicated in Fig. 3, with small loops at the triangle point 0, O, O, (to pass over the tenons m, on the legs a,) and then fastened together at its ends preferably by welding. If four legs are to be used then four loops 0, should be made at the points of a quadrangle or an oblong quadrangle-and the shape of the desk and position of the cleats would also be changed.

The covering is, is made of canvas or sheathing or other suitable material and is provided with a series of small hooks at one edge by which to attach it to the circuit 8, s, when in use.

. To hold the booth or tent together and race it laterally I have provided metal angle braces formed at nearly right angle, one end of which is securely fastened to the under other end of the brace projecting downward to intersect with a tapering metal socket m, (see Fig. 9,) in which it fits and tightens as it is pressed into it, which is fastened near the middle of legs a.

The frame can be quickly set up by turning the desk shown in Fig. 12, the other side up, and pushing the projecting ends of angle braces i, into sockets m, on the legs a, and placing the circuit 8, s, in place with the loops 0, over the tenons n, attach the cover It, by its hooks to the circuit 3, s, and the booth can be left open at the front as shown in Fig. 1, or it can be closed by drawing the cover together.

The angle brace just described may be changed for the one shown in Fig. 7, which will be fastened in the same place on the desk with the end with the long hole or slot Z, projecting downward, and instead of the socket m, just described the thumb screw bolt c, (Fig. 10) will be passed through the side of the desk (1, (as indicated. Fig. 12,) the legs a. By passing the slots Z, underneath the head of the bolts 6, (Fig. 6) and (if necessary tightening the thumb nut) the slight flange on the edges of the angle brace will be pressed either side of the legs a, and the booth will stand just as strong as with the use of the sockets m, and will be a few cents cheaper in cost. Another way of using these same angle braces t" is to secure two of them to the legs a, with the ends with the slots Z, parallel to each other and far enough apart to receive the end of the cleats a, between them, when with the thumb screw bolts e, in place in the holes h, they will be received by the slots Z, when the cleats c, are pushed in between the braces i, and by tightening the thumb nuts the frame will be found to stand firm.

The straps r, 0, may be fastened to the under side of the desk (1, for convenience in packing, handling and shipping the booth, as shown in Fig. 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A booth or tent, comprising the combination of metal sockets, together with metal angle braces formed at nearly right angle, one

end of which is made tapering to fit into the sockets; and a rigid central member attached to suitable legs by the metal angle braces, to hold together and brace a frame for a booth or tent and for taking it apart quickly.

2. A booth or tent comprising the combination of a desk with cleats secured to it and becoming a part of it, together with suitable metal angle braces attaching the desk to legs near their middle, the legs extending upward above the desk and connecting with an upper member in such a manner as to be held at their upper ends in a relative position, one to the other, together with a curtain or suitable covering to inclose the whole.

3. In a booth or tent a metal rod connected at its ends and forming a complete circuit in which several small loops or sockets have been formed or attached to the rod at suitable points to receive the upper ends of the legs which hold the rod at the top of the booth and the rod in combination with the legs holds then in a relative position one to another; for the purpose of making the booth stand more firmly, and to furnish a circuit to which to attach a curtain or covering of suitable materials, and also to form a convenient bail or handle by which to carry the booths when packed for shipment.

4. In a booth or tent metal angle braces 2', secured to the desk d, and cleats c, 0, together with suitable sockets for the projecting ends of braces to fit into, attached to the legs a, for bracing the booth and holding the parts together and to enable them to be quickly detached and taken apart, substantially as shown and described.

5. A booth or tent comprising the combination, of a frame of rigid materials and a metal rod with loops or sockets to receive the upper ends of the legs and hold them in a relative position one to the other, together with a curtain or suitable covering to inclose the booth, to which is combined metal hooks at the upper edge of said covering for attaching it quickly to, and detaching the covering from, the metal rod at the top of the booth.

6. In a booth or tent, the combination, of the legs a, and metal rod 3, s, and canvas 70, temporarily secured by means of the straps 'r, r, to the side of the desk d, for convenience and safety in packing, handling, or shipping the booth or tent, substantially as shown and described.

JUAN W. ERNEST. Witnesses:

WM. P. GIBsoN, E. E. WHITE. 

